Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-12-01
WRITER'S YOUTH.
His Firct Published Poem and the FrieL
1t Brought Him

His First Published Poem and the Friend
1t brought Him
Whittier began to rhyme very early
and kept his gift secret from all ex-
cept his oldest sister. fearing that his
father, who was prosaic man. would
think he was wasting time. He wrote
under the fence, in the attic, in the
barn-wherevcr he could escape OBJ
servation; and as pen and ink wero
not always available, he sometimes
used chalk. and even charcoal Gre at
was the surprise Of the family when
some of his verses were unearthed,
literally unearthed. from under a heap
of rubbish in n garnet; but his father
frowned upon these evidences of the
bent of his mind. not out of kindness.
bus because he doubted the sufficiency
OF the boys education for a literary
life. and did not wish to inspire him
with hopes which might never be full
filed.
His sister had faith in him. neverthe-
less. and, without his knowledge, she
sent one of his poems to the editor of
the Free Press. newspaper published
in Newburyport Whittier was helping
his father to repair 4 stone wall by the
roadside. when the carrier flung copy
of the paper to him. and. unconscious
that any thing of his was in it. he
opened it and glanced up and down
the columns. His eyes fell on some
verses called 1.-The Exile's Depart
ure:"
Fond scenes which d elightet my youthful eI
istence,
With feelings Of sorrow I bid We adieu-
The shores of Hibernia recede from M
Farewell to the cliffs, tempest-beaten and
gray.
Which guard the loved shores Of my own ma
tive land;
Farewell to the village and sail-shadowed bay
The forest-crowned hill and the water.washed
strand.
His eyes swan; it was his own poem,
:he first he ever had in print
What is the matter with thee?' his
father demanded. seeing how dazed he
was; but though he resumed his work
on the wall. he could not speak. and
he had to steal glance at the paper
again before he could convince him.
self that he was not dreaming. Sure
enough. the poem was there with his
initial at the foot of it-.'W.. Haver-
hill. June l. 1926" and. better still.
this editorial notice: If W.. at
Haverhill. will continue to favor us
with pieces beautiful as the one in
serted in our poetical department of
to-day, we shall esteem it a favor"
The editor thoug ht so much of The
Exile's Departure. and some other
verses which followed it from the same
hand. that he resolved to make the
acquaintance Of his new contributor.
and he drove over to see him.
Whittier, then n boy of eighteen. was
summoned from the fields where he
was working. clad only in shirt.
trousers and straw hat. and having
slipped in, at the back door so that he
might put his shoes and coat on. came
into the room with shrinking diff
fidence. almost unable to speak. and
blrshing like maiden" The editor
was a young man himself not more
than twenty-five or twenty.three. and
the friendship that began with this
visit lasted until death ended it. How
strong and how close it was. and how
it was made to serve the cause Of
freedom may be learned in the life o:
the great abolitionist, William Lloyd
Garrison. which was the edilor's
name -Sk Nicholas.